


And The Sky Is Grey

by vix_spes



Series: The Model and the Spy [5]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Fluff, Gift Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-08
Updated: 2013-11-08
Packaged: 2017-12-31 20:51:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1036237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vix_spes/pseuds/vix_spes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gwaine’s accepted a photography job in the north of England and, not wanting to spend the weekend alone, Leon goes up to join him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And The Sky Is Grey

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ronsoftie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ronsoftie/gifts).



> Written for ronsoftie as part of the Happy October Swap. Part of my The Model and The Spy series but can be a stand-alone. Title comes from the song California Dreamin’ by The Mamas and The Papas

Leon gave a sigh of relief as he found his seat on the final train, stowing his luggage before he all but collapsed in his seat. He had thought that getting the train would be easier and quicker than driving himself but now that he was on his third train of the evening, he was regretting that decision somewhat. It was just typical of Gwaine to accept a job in a place that was a pain in the arse to get to. Leon didn’t have to come up and join him but the prospect of spending the weekend alone in their flat wasn’t a very enticing one. It was for that reason that Leon had finished work and made his way to Kings Cross where he’d got on the train to York. There he’d caught a train Middlesbrough and now, he was on the third (and thankfully final!) train to Whitby.

Gwaine was, in all probability, still going to be working for a decent part of the weekend but even so, it was better for Leon at least be in the same town where he could see Gwaine a little bit. Besides, Leon had always wanted to visit Whitby, ever since he had read Bram Stoker’s Dracula, but had never had the opportunity. Now he did. The assignment that Gwaine had accepted was for a Gothic style photo shoot and, cliché though it was, Gwaine had gotten stuck on the idea of using the Abbey as the backdrop. He had pitched the idea to the magazine who had fallen over themselves to sort things out.

Gwaine had been in Whitby all week even though the first couple of days had just been test shots and making sure that the shoot would work. They had spoken on the phone a few times and each conversation had dissolved into Gwaine rambling about the amazing shots that he had been getting and how he was getting ideas about doing an exhibition of his own photos. They had spoken briefly the previous evening when Gwaine had a tea break from the night shoot where Gwaine had told Leon the name of the hotel and promised faithfully that they would be able to have dinner together. Leon wasn’t all that convinced that dinner would happen that evening; he knew just how distracted and involved Gwaine got when he was working. Not that that bothered Leon too badly. He had known exactly what Gwaine was like before they got together and he didn’t love him any less for his complete focus on his work. Besides, it wasn’t as though Leon didn’t get completely and utterly absorbed in his own work.

The skies had been getting progressively blacker since he left London and, half-way between Middlesbrough and Whitby, the rain finally started to fall. By the time that the train came to a halt in Whitby it wasn’t just drizzle, it was absolutely tipping it down. Leon grabbed his luggage and got off the train, staying under shelter as much as possible and thanking his lucky stars when, upon exiting the main station, there was an empty taxi waiting. Double-checking the text message that he had received from Gwaine, he gave the address to the driver and sat back as they drove through the streets and across the River Esk to the bed and breakfast that Gwaine had booked them into on the East Cliff.

He couldn’t see much considering the late hour and the driving rain but he did like what he could see. Down in the town, rows of tiny cottages huddled together on fairly narrow streets with what looked like an abundance of jet shops dotted around. The streets were pretty much deserted, lights shining in the windows showing that all of the sane people were inside in the warmth of their homes. As they had crossed the river, the Abbey had been just visible on the cliff despite the dark skies. Anybody else and the downturn in the weather would mean that the shoot was off. But this was Gwaine and he would simply find somewhere else at the Abbey to shoot that was fractionally more sheltered from the weather. Especially when you considered that the following day was Saturday and, for the majority of the day the site would have tourists wandering around meaning that Gwaine wouldn’t be able to take photos.

Even so, despite the appalling weather, Leon wasn’t surprised in the slightest to receive a text from Gwaine to say that he was really sorry but he wasn’t going to be able to make it to dinner but that he would make it up to Leon. Thankfully, the woman who owned the bed and breakfast was very obliging and, obviously taking pity on Leon and his more than a little bedraggled appearance, rustled him up an omelette and chips that he ate in the kitchen. By the time that Gwaine made it back to their room, exhausted and dumping his soaking wet clothes in a pile of the en-suite, Leon was half-asleep and responded only half-heartedly to Gwaine’s kiss before they both slipped into oblivion.

~*~

By the time that they woke up on Sunday the rain had all blown over, leaving behind a beautiful but blustery Autumnal day. However, just because the sun was shining didn’t mean that Leon had any inclination to actually get out of bed. Not when he was warm and cosy under a pile of blankets with a sleep-warm and completely naked Gwaine lying beside him. Gwaine had indeed worked the whole of Saturday while Leon had wandered around the town and the Abbey doing a bit of sight-seeing but had wrapped up the shoot in time for them to go to dinner at Green’s. Leon had picked it specially because he loved the idea that you could go and, if you picked seafood, be told which boat it had come off as well as the skipper’s name. By the time they had stumbled back to their B&B, both of them had been slightly tipsy and convinced that they wouldn’t be able to eat for at least two days.

A tipsy Gwaine meant an amorous Gwaine and they had barely made it through the door of their room before he was grabbing at Leon’s clothes. Not that Leon was complaining (although the owners might be the following morning). As a result, it had been the early hours of the morning before they even thought about going to sleep. So, Leon was more than happy to doze in the patch of sunlight drifting in through the curtains until the lure of frying bacon and coffee drifting up from the kitchen was enough to rouse even Gwaine.

Not that they managed to get out of the B&B before noon. Between Gwaine trying to eat his own bodyweight in bacon and fried eggs – he had completely charmed the woman who ran the B&B and she was more than happy to keep topping up his plate and his coffee cup – and then dragging Leon into the shower with him to use up all of the hot water and completely fail at washing. All in all, they were left with less than two hours to kill before they had to get their train back to London. It wasn’t easy, but with the promise of sex in their beloved (and ridiculously large) bathtub once they returned to London, Leon managed to cajole Gwaine into a walk on the beach.

Both of them wrapped up snugly against the biting wind in thick sweaters, jeans, boots not to mention waterproof jackets, scarves and, for Gwaine, a knitted beanie hat. Neither of them opted to wear gloves, preferring to opt for that time-old method of hand-warming; holding hands. They had no real direction, what with Leon having done the sight-seeing he wanted to do the previous day and Gwaine having wandered most of the town during the week. Instead, they made for the beach and walked along it, the expanse mostly deserted with the exception of a few dog-walkers, enjoying the brisk sea air and dodging the odd wave that came too close.

Leon loved his job, he really did. Despite the stress, the long hours and the travelling that meant he didn’t get to see Gwaine as much as he would like. And he knew that Gwaine felt the same about his own career. There may be downsides but, they could be a lot worse off and, even though Gwaine had spent a great proportion of the weekend working, as long as they got to have days like this then there was very little that Leon could complain about.

After all, what could be better than walking hand in hand with your partner along a beach on a cloudy autumnal day snuggled up in woollen knits?

**Author's Note:**

> If you prefer to comment on LJ, you can do so [here](http://vix-spes.livejournal.com/146101.html)


End file.
